Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Under 17’s travelled to Germany where they are set to hold a short pre-season training camp in Munich followed by the Walther Walther Bensemann tournament in Nuremberg.The lucrative tournament which will be staged at the training complex of FC Nuremberg between August 29th and 31st will involve eight clubs from five countries: FC Nuremberg, FC Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt and Karlsruher SC (Germany), Chelsea (England), Bologna (Italy), Cracovia Krakow (Poland) and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The tournament which has been played since 1937 and will be staged for the 32nd time, combines top level football as well as a unique educational program, in memory of Walther Bensemann. One of the pioneers of German and European football history, Bensemann (1873-1934) was a founder of football clubs and the organizer of the first international matches involving German clubs as well as the co-founder of the German Football Association. As one of the founders of “Kicker” sports magazine, Bensemann wrote about his favorite sport, but also published articles about the political issues of his time, writing against dangerous militarism, poisoning nationalism and against latent and open anti-Semitism. He was convinced that football had the power to bring the European family together and to promote peace between people.Besides the footballing program the tournament The aim of the educational program is to learn from history and to translate the approaches of Walther Bensemann, a pioneer of football and European unification, into the present day. The life and vision of Bensemann is conveyed to the young players in order to strengthen them as ambassadors for democracy and against discrimination.
The Bensemann campus is shaped by several Holocaust survivors who share their stories and leave a lasting impression on young people. The program includes a total of 19 workshops on Friday and Saturday mornings.
